The parish of Boqueirão belongs to the diocese of Campina Grande in the impoverished northeast of Brazil. It is around 60 years old and is dedicated to „Nossa Senhora do Desterro“, or „Our Lady of the Flight“– a reference to the Flight into Egypt by Our Lady and Saint Joseph with the Christ Child, to escape King Herod‘s executioners. Within the town of Boqueirão itself and in all the surrounding area there is a lively devotion to the Mother of God under this title.
The parish itself covers 40 villages and outstations, most of them in the outlying rural areas. The long distances and the unmade roads are a major challenge for the pastoral outreach here. Father João Igor Pereira Aves de Sales has only been in charge of the parish since July 2023. He has spent the first few months of his ministry here travelling throughout the region, visiting every community in order to form for himself a picture of the situation and listen to the cares and concerns of the local people.
The good news for Father João was that this is a lively and dynamic parish, with great potential for development. The bad news was the discovery that the parish has very few resources, and above all a lack of spaces, not only for the many pastoral initiatives he was planning to introduce, but even for those already existing. For example, there are no fewer than 20 catechism groups, but in order for them to meet he has to make do with improvised solutions or else borrow rooms in the local schools. And there are no suitable premises even for the regular soup kitchen, which provides meals for 50 of the poorest families each week. And yet he is planning so many other pastoral initiatives – for children, young people and adults, for couples and for families… he wants to introduce a prayer apostolate and also strengthen the charitable commitment on behalf of the most needy.
What he needs is a pastoral centre where these many events and activities can be held. His parishioners have already started fundraising, but they are so poor and it is just not enough, despite all their enthusiasm. And so Father João has turned to us for help. We are hoping to be able to support him with 31,500 Euros for the construction of this centre, which will undoubtedly lend new wings to his evangelising work. Can you help us?